Upper Peace River in Florida Set to Run Dry

0:00The Upper Peace River in Polk County, Florida is set to run dry in just days because a brutal drought hitting the Tampa Bay area. Officials from the southwest Florida water management district drop the news Thursday, pointing to way below average rain in this year's summer. Season and a 12.8 inch deficit over the past 12 months. To fight back, they're shutting down the Lake Hancock P-11 water control structure this week. That move keeps minimum levels in the lake but cuts off flow to the river from Lake Hancock to Fort Mead, making stretches totally non-navigable. Expect some rough impacts, like fish kills from trapped schools and shallow pools, with barely any oxygen. Lake Hancock's water quality will tank too, as evaveration drops levels even more, hitting wildlife and the whole ecosystem hard. Before the 2015 Lake Hancock project, dry spells like this were routine up there. That upgrade let them store water in the wet season and release it during dry times, but right now they've got no backup plays.

1:00Only heavy rain can turn this around, so fingers crossed for some serious downpours soon to refill those levels and keep the river flowing. Local news, powered by AI, this is Tampa Bay News today.